Gate-operating mechanism



April 22, 1930. T.4w. BRAzl-:LL 1,755,948

GATE OPERATING MECHANISM 'Filed March 17, 1928 THON AS VV. BRAZELL Patented Apr. 22, 1930 PATENT or-TICE THOMAS W. BRAZELL, F PRINGLE, SOUTH DAKOTA GATE-OPERATIN G MECHANISM Application filed March 17, 1928.` Serial No. 262,349.

This invention relates to `mechanism for operating gates at railway grade crossings, and aims to provide means for utilizing the energy of a moving railway vehicle for closing or opening gates or other obstructions on the highway at both sides ofthe crossings.

An object ofthe .invention is to provide effective means for utilizing' the energy of the railway vehicle to close and open these gates, the operation of the gates being timed in accordance with the movement of the vehicle and being effected without impact or destructive effect on the gates.

Further objects of the invention will appear from the following description, taken in connection with the appended drawings,

in which Fig. 1 is an elevation of a deviceembodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is another elevation of the same as viewed from the left of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a sectional detail showing the apparatus at a dierent stage of the operation.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the gate operating mechanism is mountved alongside of a railway track 8, and comprises a base 10 carrying uprights 11 in which is j ournaled a shaft 12 carrying a large drum 13. A heavy weight or hammer 14 has two arms 15 which extend on opposite sides of the drum 13 and are pivoted to shaft 12. The upward pivoting movement of the hammer Y is limited by a stop 16 which is located adjacent the top of the drum and supported by suitable frame members 17 and 18. The rotation of drum 13 in the counterclockwise direction is limited by a projection 7 on the drum which engages a detent 9 xed to the Y stop 16.

An actuating lever 20 is pivoted at 21, and

has one of its ends extending beneath the hammer when the latter is in its lowermost position, and its other end 22 extending between two vertical guides 23 to a point near one of the rails of track 8. End 22 is rounded as shown and is adapted to be depressed by a roller 24 carried by an attachment 25 on the locomotive or other railway vehicle.

vHammer 14 is provided on its inner face with a recess 26 in which is mounted a leaf spring 27 having its upper end bent inwardly to form a hook 28, and the periphery of drum 13 is provided with a notch 30 adapted to receive the hook. A fixed releasing member 31 is positioned adjacent the lowermost position of hammer 14 and is adapted to move spring 27 out of engagement with notch 30 as the hammer moves downwardly.

A. flexible cable 32 is secured to the periphery of the disk at 33 and extends under a pulley 34 to the gates, (not shown) which are to be operated. The gates are preferably several hundred feet distant from the above described mechanism, and are adapted to be operated by a pull on the cable. Any suitable type of gate may be-used, but I prefer to use the gate shown in my copending application, Serial Number 278,820, filed May 18,

1928', for railway gate and control therefor.

The operation is as follows, the parts being in the positions shown by full lines in Fig, 1. The vehicle passing over track 8l depresses, by means of its roller-24, end 22 of lever 20. The opposite end of the lever is rapidly raised, imparting a blow to hammer 14 of sufficient force to raise it to the position indicated at 14 in Fig. 1, the hammer pivoting about shaft 12 until it strikes stop 16, which arrests its movement. During this operation, hook 28 slides over the periphery of drum 13until it reaches notch 30, when it engages therein, holding the hammer fixed relative to the drum. The lweight of the hammer then causes it to return slowly to its original position, rotating the drum as it does so and :winding cable 32 thereon so as to raise or lower the gates at the grade crossing. the hammer approaches its lowermost position, member 31 engages spring 27 and moves it outwardly vout* of engagement with notch 30, so that drum 13 is ready to be movedback into position by a pull on the cable. Such pull will normally be produced by'a similar gate operating mechanism Vpositioned adjacent the track at some distance beyond the highway at which the gates are located, and operated in the same manner after the train has crossed the crossing.

Having described my invention what I claim as newand desire to vsecure by Letters Patent of the United Sta-tes is:

l. A gate operating mechanism comprising Aan actuating member adapted to be carried by a f railway vehicle, a pivoted member adapted to be engaged and quickly moved by said actuating member, means for storing the energy imparted-by said actuating :member to said pivoted member, and means for utilizing said energy to close a gate.

2. A gate operating-mec a member extendingadj acent arailway track and adapted to be quickly movedbyarail-way vehicle, means for conyertingl the kinetic energy imparted by said `vehicle"to's'aid member into potential energy and means for utilizing the'said potential energy for closing a gate. Q o

k3. A gate operating mechanism comprising emember extending eflieoeiiie reilwey breek end adapted to be moyeol bye milwe-y Vehiele., e weigh1b adapted to be reeeolby-movemehb of seid member, e disk, edepeedeebe weed by the lowering of said weight, and a calo'lese, cured t0 said disk and adapted to be wound ihereohi c el! A gehe operatie-g .meeheniem eompiieiilg aoeble adapted toopeife'ie e gehe/,ei drum t.o which 'said vrcable is att-'achedto be wound thereon, e weight having e detaoheble ooe.:

hanismeomprsng whereby the downward movement of said weight operates a gate.

9. A gate operating mechanism comprising a pivoted weight, a pivot-ed member adapted to engage said weight, an actuating member on a railway vehicle adapted to strike said pivoted member to raise said weight, and

means 4whereby the downward Ymovement ofk l said weight operates a gate.

A10.A gate operating mechanism comprising a ,pivoteid weightiadapted to be raised by a railway vehicle, means concentric with said weightiforo-perating a gate, and a one way connection between said weight kand said means i ill: llege-.ie operating meeheiiiemeomprie- .ieg meme feretoiiegtheeeergyimioaiied to Seid meeheeiem by elimilwey yehlelaeeiel meohehiem being meiieoiiye :ioforerebe Seid means ioi utilizing eeisl eeeigy te .operate nection withsaid drum, apivoted member a' member adjacent a railway trackfadapte having one of its-endsfadapted to raise said weight and having the. other Aoit ite ende olieposed adjacent the Vrailvg/ay track, and an eetueting member eerried yby e vehicle oh said track and adapted to actua-te said pivoted member.Y v, f

A gate operating mehamismv cornpr-isingfa member pivoted adjacent. a railway traeki Seid'memberbeing edeeied. iobemoreel by e 'railway vehicle, e weight eoleiobed be be struckby `said member and 'r'aised by the iinv peet thereotehd meme whereby t,he dowhf ward movement of vsaid 'weight `operates fa gate.

6. Agate operating mechanism comprisin` to be quickly moved 'by a railway-vehicle moving inV eitherfdireetiom meansl for converting `the 4kinetic energy imparted by said vehicle Ato said member into potentialy energy and means for iiiiilizmg theeeidroteibiel energy for operating, a gate; l

7. A gate operating mechanism comprising en eehietingmemberedeloteio be oerriediby a railway vehicle, al pivoted memberadapted to be engaged and `quiclil moved said actuating member on a railzrvay vehicle moving in either direction, means orlstoring the energy im'partedfby -said actuating. member to said pivoted member, and means for utilizing said energy to operateagate., i i

8. Agate operating mechanism comprising a weight', means whereby the `passage of railway vehicle raises said weight, and means lOD fige 

